What’s new in Western Australia state nomination for 2024-25?

Western Australia State Nominated Migration Program 2024-25

The Western Australia State Nominated Migration Program (SNMP) for 2024-25 offers a robust pathway for skilled professionals to live and work in Western Australia (WA).

For the 2024-25 program year, WA has allocated a total of 5,000 available places for skilled migrants including

• 3,000 places for subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated visa);
• 2,000 places for  subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa)

This generous allocation demonstrates Western Australia’s commitment to attracting skilled talent and fostering economic growth.

Western Australian Skilled Migration Occupation List 2024-25

The Western Australian Skilled Migration Occupation List (WASMOL) for 2024-25 includes all occupations for state nomination through the SNMP. This list contains more than 600 occupations, which are further classified into three streams:

• General Stream – WASMOL Schedule 1: This stream is for higher-skilled workers in a range of occupations who can meet the shortage of skilled workers in Western Australia.
• General Stream – WASMOL Schedule 2: Similar to Schedule 1, this stream includes additional occupations that are considered essential to Western Australia’s economic development.

Graduate Stream – Graduate Occupation List (GOL): This stream is only for international students who have completed vocational education and training (VET) or higher education qualifications in Western Australia. The GOL outlines the eligible occupations that align with the WA state’s skill requirements and academic equivalency.

Western Australian Skilled Migration Requirements

General Requirements

The Western Australia SNMP generally requires that applicants meet several key criteria to be eligible for WA state nomination. These criteria include:

• Nominated Occupation: The occupation you nominate must be listed on the relevant occupation list for the visa subclass you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for the Graduate Stream, your occupation must be on the Graduate Occupation List.
• Skills Assessment: You need to provide a skills assessment that verifies your qualifications and work experience in your nominated (or selected) skilled occupation. The assessment must align with the occupation specified in your Expression of Interest (EOI) and the occupation you are invited to apply for WA State nomination. Note that a provisional skills assessment issued for a subclass 485 visa application is not considered valid.
• English Language Requirement: To demonstrate proficiency in English, applicants must achieve a minimum score in all four components of a single sitting of one of the Home Affairs-approved English tests. The minimum required score is shown in the following table:

Citizens of the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the United States of America, or the Republic of Ireland are exempt from the English language requirement for WA State nomination. 

However, British National (Overseas) passports are not considered valid proof of English proficiency in this context.

• Department of Home Affairs Requirements: In addition to the SNMP criteria, applicants must also meet the requirements set by the Department of Home Affairs for their intended visa. This includes meeting the specific criteria for either the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) or the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491).

For more details about the requirements of WA Skilled Migration, you can contact VEM!

Specific Requirements 

1. General Stream: WASMOL schedule 1

Work Experience requirement

To be eligible for state nomination, you must have:

• At least one year of relevant work experience within the last 10 years, either in Australia or overseas.
• The work experience must be in the nominated occupation or a closely related field.
• The experience must have been gained after obtaining your relevant qualification and in a paid position working at least 20 hours per week.

Contract of employment 

Starting from July 1, 2024, contracted employment can be accepted for some Schedule 1 occupations such as a Contracted Medical Practitioner Agreement, a Private Practice partnership agreement, or a Locum Tenens agreement.

To apply for a subclass 190 visa, you must have a full-time employment contract in Western Australia for at least 06 months from the date of your WA state nomination application. 

Full-time employment is considered an average of at least 35 hours of work per week and you may combine 2 contracts to meet this requirement.

Note: For subclass 491 visa applicants, the contract of employment requirement is not applicable.

2. General Stream: WASMOL schedule 2

Work Experience requirement

There is no requirement for work experience for applicants in the General Stream: WASMOL Schedule 2 in Western Australia.

Contract of employment 

Same as Schedule 1, the contract of employment requirement in Schedule 2 is not required for subclass 491 visa applicants and those in the WA building and construction industry sector occupation.

To meet this requirement, you must have a contract of employment in your nominated or closely related occupation for full-time employment in Western Australia for a minimum of six months from the date of your WA state nomination application. 

Full-time employment is considered as an average of at least 35 hours of work per week. If necessary, you can provide two employment contracts to fulfill this requirement. 

3. Graduate Stream 

Unlike the General Stream, the Graduate Stream Has a high requirement of educational background and on-campus studying, with no requirement for work experience or a job offer. To be eligible for the Graduate Stream, applicants must meet the following requirements:

Qualification:

• You must have obtained at least one qualification from a Western Australian educational institution that was accredited at the time of your studies. This qualification can be either a university or higher education qualification (PhD, Masters, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours, or Bachelor degree) or a vocational education and training (VET) qualification at Certificate III level or above.
• You can combine qualifications from different pathways to meet the minimum study requirement.
• Notably, a study gained solely through an English language program does not qualify unless it’s combined with at least one of the listed qualifications.

Accredited Institution:

• You must have completed your studies at accredited institutions in Western Australia. These institutions must be registered with the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) and have a campus in WA where students attend full-time, on-campus classes.
• Universities and higher education providers must also be registered with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), while VET institutions must be registered with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) or the WA Training Accreditation Council (TAC).

Full-Time Study:

• Your studies must have been completed full-time, as determined by the educational institution based on the number of subjects taken per semester/trimester.
• If you completed your full-time course with a reduced study load, you must provide evidence of approval from the institution and details of the advanced standing or recognition of prior learning used to reduce your workload.
• Credits, advanced standing, or recognition of prior learning obtained outside of Western Australia are not accepted.

Face-to-Face Learning:

• All studies used to meet the requirements must have been completed through face-to-face learning, meaning a physical classroom environment where a teacher and students meet for group learning.
• Online study is generally ineligible, except for cases where online learning was mandated due to COVID-19 restrictions between February 1, 2020, and November 25, 2023.
• For such exceptions, you will need to demonstrate enrollment as an onshore WA student during that period.

Two Years of Academic Study:

• You must have completed at least two years of academic study in Western Australia, contributing to your qualification(s), to meet the minimum study requirement.
• Again, credits or recognition of prior learning from outside Western Australia cannot be used towards this requirement.
• You are responsible for providing evidence that demonstrates two years of living and studying in WA, along with confirmation that the awarding institutions met accreditation requirements.

WA State nomination application Process

Based on the official WA website, WA State Nomination application process involves nine key steps:

• Step 1: Lodge an eligible Expression of Interest (EOI)
• Step 2: Prepare your Documents
• Step 3: Receive an Invitation from WA
• Step 4: Lodge your State Nomination Application
• Step 5: Assessment of your application and Outcome
• Step 6: Nomination in SkillSelect
• Step 7: Lodge your Visa Application
• Step 8: Visa Application assessment and outcome 
• Step 9: Register your arrival or visa approval 

The estimated processing time for nomination applications is currently 28 working days. Please note that this timeframe is an estimate and may vary depending on individual circumstances.

In addition, applicants also have the right to request a review of their WA State nomination outcome. All review requests must be submitted to WA Migration Services within 14 calendar days from the date of the email notifying you of the decision.

Contact VEM today for expert guidance on Western Australian State Nominations and visa applications! Our MARA-registered migration agent (MARN: 1577877, MIA: 12648), who is also a member of the Migration Institute of Australia, is here to guide you every step of the way. 

REGISTER FOR CONSULTATION

By: Peter Phong D Cao – Registered migration agent.

(MARN: 1577877, MIA: 12648)

Frequently asked questions